More Than a Soldier Book Review

More Than a Soldier is Angelo DiMarco’s powerful story of survival, resilience and courage.

About More Than a Soldier

Feeling a patriotic duty to defend his country after Japan bombed Pearl Harbor, seventeen year old, Angelo J. DiMarco, enlists in the U.S. Army. Severely short of frontline fighters, the Army rushes Angelo through Ranger training and sends him to Italy as part of the 1st Ranger Battalion. Their objective: stop the German invasion.

Fighting on the front lines in Italy, the German’s teach Angelo a sobering lesson on life when they capture him during the bloody battle of Cisterna. Against insurmountable odds, Angelo miraculously escapes in a way that stretches the imagination. He survives behind enemy lines for over five months, hiding from the Germans and trying to outmaneuver them. He begs for food, sleeps in barns and suffers from many ailments, including dehydration, malnutrition, malaria and exposure to the elements.

My Thoughts

More Than a Solider is a truly powerful story of a young man who is determined to survive and fight for what he believes and knows is true. It is a story full of bravery, grace, resilience and leaves you feeling humbled, sad and hopeful. While a true story about Angelo’s experiences during the war, it does not glorify war. It shows us the real pain, the hopes and frailness of life.

Angelo enlisted in the US Army and was soon off to fight at the front with the very important battalion, the Rangers. They are trained in a physically demanding manner that makes you cringe but once they are out in the field, you truly understand why they had to be so physically, mentally and emotionally prepared. When they are captured and many of the men in battalion are killed, you worry that the end is near. Somehow he manages to escape but is then out in the open behind enemy lines. This begins an even greater struggle for food, shelter and survival.

Through this novel we are exposed to the real sides of war – the brutality, the illness, the friendships, the hopes and fears. Everything is laid out bare for us in this novel. You feel sadness, hope and pray for him throughout his journey. More Than A Soldier should be a must read for young adults and adults a like. It is a truly special story that I feel blessed to have had read.

Daniel M. Annechino, a former book editor, wrote his first book, How to Buy the Most Car for the Least Money, while working as a General Manager in the automobile business. But his passion had always been fiction, particularly thrillers. He spent two years researching serial killers before finally penning his gripping and memorable debut novel They Never Die Quietly. He has written and published five novels—all thrillers. But his latest work, More Than a Soldier, is a Historical Biography set in Italy during WWII.

A native of New York, Annechino now lives in San Diego with his wife, Jennifer. He loves to cook, enjoys a glass of vintage wine, and spends lots of leisure time on the warm beaches of Southern California.